In Hisar, three political families locked in contest

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hisar, April 22

With a triangular contest between the scions of three political families, all eyes would be on the prestigious Hisar parliamentary constituency. The sitting MP Dushyant Chautala, 31, who became the youngest politician to get elected to the Lok Sabha, is facing two greenhorns – the BJP’s Brijendra Singh, former IAS officer and son of Union minister Birender Singh, and Congress candidate Bhavya Bishnoi, 26, grandson of late Chief Minister Bhajan Lal.

Though the families of the three contestants have been old political rivals, it’s for the first time that members of all three families are in the fray from the same constituency.

Significantly, Brijendra’s father Birender Singh (when in the Congress) had defeated Dushyant’s grandfather and former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala in 1984. He lost twice later --- in 1989 (to Janata Dal candidate Jai Prakash) and in 1999 (to INLD’s Surender Barwala).

Bhavya’s father Kuldeep Bishnoi and grandfather Bhajan Lal had also won the seat once each. While Bhajan Lal won as a candidate of the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC), the party which was floated by him after he walked out of the Congress, in 2011, Kuldeep won the byelection after the death of Bhajan Lal, defeating Dushyant’s father Ajay Singh Chautala. Dushyant reversed the setback in 2014 by defeating Kuldeep.

A political expert maintained that though Dushyant had made a mark as an MP despite being in the Opposition, BJP candidate Brijendra belonged to the Uchana Assembly segment in Jind, which had given the biggest lead to Dushyant in 2014.

The caste factor will play a crucial role in Hisar, which has in the past seen sharp divisions between Jats and non-Jats. Bhavya belongs to the Bishnoi community while both BJP and JJP have fielded Jat faces.

Dynastic dynamics  

Brijendra Singh, BJP: His father Birender Singh (as Congress candidate) defeated Om Prakash Chautala in 1984. Birender, a native of Dumarkhan village in Jind’s Uchana Aassembly segment had faced two defeats later from Janata Dal’s Jai Prakash in 1989 and Surender Barwala of the INLD in 1999.

Dushyant Chautala, JJP: Sitting MP emerged victorious on INLD ticket in debut contest in 2014, defeating Kuldeep Bishnoi. Bishnoi had defeated his father Ajay Chautala in the 2011 byelection.

Bhavya Bishnoi, Cong: His father Kuldeep Bishnoi defeated Dushyant’s father Ajay Chautala twice --- in 2011 Hisar byelection and in 2004 Lok Sabha election from Bhiwani seat.